Quit Your Day Job: Turn Your Garage Into Your Office

Do you have an idea for a product that you know would blow competition out of the water? Are you working for a company and know you can do it better yourself? That’s what happened to me, so I started my business in my garage and now we’re one of INC’s top 500 growing companies. If you have an idea that you think will change the world, I urge you to pursue it. Build a prefab steel garage and get down to business. If you work hard enough, you’ll find success.Committing to the idea of quitting your steady job to start out on your own is a big risk. There are a million things that could go wrong in the process of building your business. If you refuse to quit and put the customer first, you’ll have success.

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before jumping off the cliff into your own business. Have you factored in possible unforeseen costs? Do you have a Plan B? How does your support system feel about this venture?

If you have asked yourself all the questions, saved up enough cash to float your personal expenses for a few months and are ready to take the plunge, you have to ask yourself where you’re going to start your business. Do you have an extra room in your house to use as an office to get you started? If not, consider building a prefab steel garage to get set up in while starting out. If you’re leaving your job to become a full-time freelancer, maybe this steel garage will become your permanent office.

Winston Churchill said, “Never, ever, ever, ever give up.” You aren’t re-inventing the wheel by deciding to quit your day job. There are lots of people who have decided that working for themselves sounds a lot better than working for someone else. The successful ones are successful because they worked hard at it and never gave up. I’m not talking about working hard for 40 hours a week, but more like 100 hours a week–making sure every detail of every process or product was perfect.

There is a smart way to quit your job and pursue your dream. Derek Sivers suggests using the Tarzan Technique and I agree. Sivers had this to say:

“Remember how Tarzan swings through the jungle? He doesn’t let go of the previous vine until the next vine is supporting his weight.”

Don’t let go of the old job until the new one is supporting you. More importantly, don’t lose momentum. If you lose momentum between vines, you’ll swing in the air unable to reach back or forward.

If you’re feeling constrained by time while juggling your day job and your side project now, that’s probably a good thing. When you have limited time to devote to your fledgling company, you use your time much more wisely, focusing on big decisions rather than sweating the small stuff.

Keep it simple by sticking to the things you know you’re good at. For the things you need that you can’t handle on your own, reach out to your network of friends and colleagues and ask for help. It’s imperative to not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Asking for help does not mean that you have failed, it will give you a chance to grow–to focus on bigger picture items, ultimately attracting more clients or selling more product.

Once your new venture supports you, let go of the last vine. Take a leap of faith and make your own way in the world. Clean out your prefab steel garage and pursue your passion.

Find out more about Ethan Chumley and the story of Armstrong Steel by clicking here.

Photo courtesy: Micov, Ben Babcock